This invention relates to mobile telephone devices and more particularly to accessories for enhancing a mobile telephone handset.
The inventors of the present invention have recognized the fact that many people now have at least two or more telephone numbers: one number for a portable cell phone; one number for a home telephone; and one number for a business telephone. With businesses, many users still have an office phone and a business telephone. However, some users are beginning to dispense with having a telephone number at home. Such users thus use their cell phone as their primary point of contact.
Problems with businesses maintaining two numbers per user, considered by the inventors, include the redundant expense of paying for a dedicated business landline infrastructure and cell phone service. Another problem includes that cell phones are not easily integrated into the business PBX infrastructure. Although, business PBXs can call-out to cell phones, cell phones do not typically have the control of a business PBX to the same extent as desktop telephones.
Problems with using a cell phone as a primary home number, considered by the inventors, include that users sacrifice the convenience of having a home phone infrastructure, such as a base station, two or more home telephone handsets, handset locator, and the like. Another typical problem is misplacement of the cell phone while at the user's home.
In light of the above, what is desired are methods and apparatus for interfacing a portable cell phone with a stationary telephone device without the drawbacks described above.